[virt-tools-list] How do the bootloader and kernel image both get transferred to the VM in the "Network install" option?

From: Marwan <marwan tanager gmail com>

To: virt-tools-list redhat com

Subject: [virt-tools-list] How do the bootloader and kernel image both get transferred to the VM in the "Network install" option?

Date: Fri, 7 Sep 2012 19:19:44 +0200

This might be a newbie question, but I thought this might be the most relevant
place to ask.
>From my understanding of PXE, I know that there must be some negotiation first
between the booting client and a DHCP server to obtain network parameters in
order for the client to be able to fetch the boot loader and kernel image from
the boot server. In other words, and aside from being a "virtual" machine,
we're talking here about a "bare metal" machine, so there must be some "pre
boot" mechanism for those negotiations to take place, and this is exactly
what PXE is all about. When I think about the "Network install" option,
I can't figure out how the new VM would be able to fetch the boot images
(bootloader and kernel) without the previously mentioned mechanism. I mean to
be able to do anything with the newly created machine (including launching
the installer at the first place), there must be (1) a bootloader, and (2)
a kernel image and initrd. So, what I am interested in, is how those images
are get transferred to, and installed in the the newly created VM using the
"Network install" option.
Thanks for your time.